“You forgot to say ‘Uno’!” Lang Giang cheerfully exclaims before covering her mouth in laughter. It’s the twelfth time she’s caught me this trip and blocked me from winning. By this point in our trek, day four of six, Giang feels more like a friend than my tour guide through Sapa.

Once the sun slips beneath the shimmering waves slathering the sky with soft pinks, reds and oranges, the green lamps of the squid boats strung across the horizon blink on and resemble a series of ellipses as if the ocean is trying to articulate the unsayable.

As the planet-wide dumpster fire that was 2018 comes to a close, we’d like to take a moment to look back at the year in Hẻm Gems through our first-ever Golden Plastic Stool Awards. These will honor some of our favorite local eateries from the past 12 months across four categories: Best Vietnamese Food, Best Non-Vietnamese Food, Best Ambiance and Best Cafe/Bar. We’ll also take a moment to honor our favorite Hẻm Gems that were shuttered this year.

Firmly established as the international school of choice in Ho Chi Minh City, the British International School is a selective, independent and co-educational day school that provides a diverse international education measured by British standards.

FMP’s Saigon International Mother & Baby Association (SIMBA) hopes you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year—and is delighted to announce that our SIMBA gatherings will be resumed this month!

Anthony Bourdain, the chef, writer and travel show host, has passed away at 61.

CNN, which produces Bourdain's travel show Parts Unknown, reported the tragic passing in the evening of June 8 (Vietnam time). The cause of death was confirmed as suicide. Bourdain was in France filming an episode of his TV program.

Of his death, the network said: "It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain. His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time."

Bourdain gained national attention in the United States in 2000 thanks to his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, which shared stories from his time as a chef at kitchens in New York City, most notably Brasserie Les Halles.

He hosted A Cook's Tour on the Food Network from 2002 to 2003, and then Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on the Travel Channel from 2005-2012. This show launched Bourdain into international fame, as he traveled the world visiting dozens of countries. Known for his brash, at times vulgar opinions, he also showed curiosity and empathy towards the people he met along the way, a style that endeared him to millions of fans around the world.

Bourdain took particular interest in Vietnam — three episodes of No Reservations were filmed here — and at one point he even considered buying a house near Hoi An. His love for the country is evident in this old video based on one of his first visits.

In 2013, Bourdain moved to CNN and began hosting the Emmy-winning Parts Unknown, a show which focused on lesser-visited locations such as Libya, Congo and Georgia. Vietnam featured prominently yet again, with two episodes shot in the country, including the famous 'Bun Cha Obama' episode filmed during then-US President Barack Obama's visit to Hanoi in 2016.

Tributes to Bourdain have poured in on social media following the announcement of his death. One particularly noteworthy tweet came from Obama himself:

“Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer.” This is how I’ll remember Tony. He taught us about food — but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together. To make us a little less afraid of the unknown. We’ll miss him. pic.twitter.com/orEXIaEMZM